Toy



June 18, 1963 N. A. GREENE TOY Filed Feb. 6, 1961 2 Sheets-She et 1 F/Gi/ INVENTOR. woe/mew ,4. 6,955!

June 18, 1963 N. A. GREENE 3,094,331

' TOY Filed Feb. 6, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mi/ sm V 1 IN VEN TOR. F/G. 5 AdQ/VJ/V GREENE United States Patent Filed Feb. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,232 8 Claims. (Cl. 273101) This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to a ring toss toy.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel toy. A more particular object is to provide a toy which is manipulated by hand to toss an object, preferably a ring, from one movable hand to another. The toy need not but preferably simulates a human figure which tosses the ring from hand to hand over the head of the figure, somewhat in simulation of a juggler.

Still another object is to employ a ring which is free, that is, unconnected to the toy, so that the hand manipulation of the toy requires practice for success, thus making the toy usable as a game of skill.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the toy elements and their relation one to another as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a toy embodying features of my invention, with the arms shown in spread apart relation;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the arms raised;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken approximately in the plane of the line 3--3 of FIG. 1, and drawn to enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation with the arms in raised position;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken approximately in the plane of the line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views showing variant methods of connecting the arms to the upright slide of the toy.

Referring to the drawing, the toy comprises a first member 12 and a second member 14 which is movably re- .lated to the first member. There are arms 16 and 18 pivoted on the first member 12. These arms are so operatively connected to the second member 14 that movement of the member 14 oscillates the arms toward or away from one another, as shown by the change from FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. The toy further comprises an object 20 which is adapted to be freely received by the end of either arm 16 or 18, this object preferably being free of the toy. The arrangement is such that by proper manipulation of the members 12 and 14 the object 20 may be tossed back and forth from one arm to the other.

The object 20 is preferably a ring, and the ends of the arms 16 and 18 are preferably bifurcated, as shown, to receive and hold the ring as it is tossed back and forth. The first member 12 may be an outer member, and the second member 14 may be a slide which passes through and is reciprocable in the outer member 12. The members are preferably provided with motion-limiting stops 22, which limit the motion of the arms toward one another. This causes an abrupt stop which helps fling the ring from one arm to the other. For convenience, ad ditional stops 24 (FIG. 2) may be provided which limit the upward movement of the slide 14, but these are not essential for operation of the toy.

To enhance the appearance and amusement value of the toy it is preferably made to somewhat resemble a human figure. For this purpose the member 12 simulates a torso. The lower end of the slide 14 simulates legs, and the upper end simulates a neck 28 and head 30. The

Patented June 18, 1963 arms 16 and 18 extend outwardly and upwardly, and the bifurcated ends simulate hands 32 and 34. Thus, the toy somewhat resembles a juggler tossing an object from hand to hand overhead.

Considering the mechanism of the toy, the arm 16 has an offset extension 36 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and the arm 18 has a similar, but oppositely offset extension 38. These straddle the slide 14, and the latter is provided with upper and lower pins 40 and 42, shown in FIGS. l-4. The arms 16 and 18 are pivoted on dowels 44 which extend from one side of the body to the other.

The toy is preferably molded out of a suitable plastics material. In such case each arm and its extension may be integrally molded. The entire slide 14 is a single molded piece. The torso 12 is molded in two concave parts secured in edge-to-edge relation. As is well known in the toy field, the edges may be stepped or provided with minute dowels to insure proper edge-to-edge alignment when the halves are cemented together. The two large dowels 44 (FIG. 5) additionally strengthen the torso, and may consist of parts which come together in end-toend relation, with one part having a pin recived in a mating hole in the other part, as shown at 46.

The-amusement value of the toy is heightened by the dropping of the head and shortening of the neck as the ring passes overhead, thus adding to the animation and the comical appearance of the toy. In addition, the change in leg length simulates a controlled rise and fall of the body as the juggler operates.

It will be understood that the arms may be operatively linked or connected to the slide in variant ways, some of which are shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the drawing. In FIG. 6 each arm 58 has pins 50 and 52 between which a sidewardly projecting finger 54 is received, the said fingers being formed integrally with the slide 56.

In FIG. 7 each arm 60 has an extension 62, the end of which is received in a notch 64 formed in the side edge of slide 66.

In FIG. 8 the arm 70 is connected by a short link 72 to the slide 74. The link is pivoted on the arm at 76 and is pivoted on the slide at 78. The latter pivot may also receive the link 72 extending to the other arm.

In FIG. 9 each arm 80 has an extension 82 which is slotted at 84 to receive a pin 86 on the slide 88.

In all of :these cases the operation is essentially the same as previously described. The relative vertical movement of the slide and torso causes the arms to oscillate toward and away from one another, and thereby tosses the ring 20 from one hand to the other, as shown in FIG. 4 by :the successive positions 20, 20 and 20.

The ring remains on the hand 34 when the arms are lowered, and then when the arms are again raised, the ring is thrown from the hand 34 back to the hand 32, that is, in the reverse order of the successive positions 20, 20" and 20.

It is believed that the construction and operation of my improved toy, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures shown, without departing from the scope of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising an outer member, a slide passing through said outer member, arms pivoted on said outer member, means within the outer member so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms to the slide that movement of the slide moves the arms toward or away from one another, and an object adapted to be received by the end of either arm, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the slide and outer member the object may be tossed back and forth from one arm to the other.

2. A toy comprising an outer member, a slide passing through said outer member, arms pivoted on said outer member, said arms extending outwardly and upwardly, means within the outer member so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms to the slide that movement of the slide moves the arms toward or away from one another, stops to limit the movement of the arms toward one another, and an object adapted to be freely received by the end of either arm, said object being free of the toy, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the slide and outer member the object may be tossed back and forth from one arm to the other.

3. A toy comprising an outer member, a slide passing through said outer member, arms pivoted on said outer member, said arms having forked outer ends, means so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms to the slide that movement of the slide moves the outer ends of the arms toward or away from one another, and a ring adapted to be received by the forked outer end of either arm, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the slide and outer member the ring may be tossed back and forth from the forked outer end of one arm to the forked outer end of the other.

4. A toy comprising an outer member, a slide passing through said outer member, arms pivoted on said outer member, said arms having forked outer ends, said arms extending outwardly and upwardly, means so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms to the slide that movement of the slide moves the outer ends of the arms toward or away from one another, stops to limit the movement of the arms toward one another, and a ring adapted to be freely received by the forked outer end of either arm, said ring being free of the toy, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the slide and outer member the ring may be tossed back and forth from the forked outer end of one arm to the forked outer end of the other.

5. A figure toy comprising a torso, a slide passing through said torso, the lower end of said slide projecting beneath the torso, the upper end of the slide simulating a head and neck, arms pivoted on said torso at the shoulders, said arms terminating in simulated hands, means within the torso so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms to the slide that movement of the slide moves the arms toward or away from one another and an object adapted to be received by either of the simlh lated hands, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the torso and slide the object may be tossed back and forth from one hand to the other.

6. A figure rtoy comprising a torso, a slide passing through said torso, the lower end of said slide projecting beneath the torso, the upper end of the slide simulating a head and neck, arms pivoted on said torso at the shoulders, said arms extending outwardly and upwardly and terminating in simulated hands, means within the torso so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms inside the torso to the slide that movement of the slide moves the arms toward or away from one another, stops to limit the movement of the arms toward one another,

and an object adapted to be freely received by either of the simulated hands, said object being free of the toy, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the torso and slide the object may be tossed back and forth from one hand to the other.

7. A figure toy comprising a torso, a slide passing through said torso, the lower end of said slide simulating legs and the upper end simulating a head and neck, arms pivoted on said torso at the shoulders, said arms terminating in bifurcations simulating hands, means so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms to the slide that movement of the slide moves the arms toward or away from one another, and a ring adapted to be received by either of the simulated hands, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the torso and legs the ring may be tossed back and forth from one hand to the other.

8. A figure toy comprising a torso, a slide passing through said torso, the lower end of said slide simulating legs and the upper end simulating a head and neck, arms pivoted on said torso at the shoulders, said arms extendin-g outwardly and upwardly and terminating in bifurcations simulating hands, means so operatively connecting the inner ends of the arms inside the torso to the slide that movement of the slide moves the arms toward one another, and a ning adapted to befreely received by either of the simulated hands, said ring being free of the toy, the arrangement being such that by proper manipulation of the torso and legs the ring may be tossed back and forth from one hand to the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,273 Trayers July 28, 1925 1,619,630 Pajeau Mar. 1, 1927 2,021,472 Woge Nov. 19, 1935 

1. A TOY COMPRISING AN OUTER MEMBER, A SLIDE PASSING THROUGH SAID OUTER MEMBER, ARMS PIVOTED ON SAID OUTER MEMBER, MEANS WITHIN THE OUTER MEMBER SO OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE INNER ENDS OF THE ARMS TO THE SLIDE THAT MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE MOVES THE ARMS TOWARD OR AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND AN OBJECT ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED BY THE END OF EITHER ARM, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT BY PROPER MANIPULATION OF THE SLIDE AND OUTER MEMBER THE OBJECT MAY BE TOSSED BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE ARM TO THE OTHER. 